Butler Basketball: Takeaways from home victory over Morehead State

1. Dawgs responded with adjustments.

Butler’s first half against Morehead State was….not great. The offense stagnated with a lack of consistent ball movement and the defense gave up some open looks from beyond the arc. As a result, the Dawgs entered halftime tied with the Eagles despite being heavy favorites heading in. At the halftime break, though, Butler’s coaching staff made some adjustments and the team responded by holding Morehead State to just three points over nearly the first eight minutes of the second half.

On the offensive end, the team showcased renewed energy in moving the ball. Aaron Thompson took control of the offense and the entire rotation made quick reads and decisions. This resulted in Butler recording assists on 66.7% of its made field goals across the final 20 minutes. The Dawgs returned to playing to their strengths in the second half with their teamwork and discipline offensively by exhibiting a 10:3 assist-to-turnover ratio in the half. It is hard to argue with how the team flipped a switch at the break.

Head coach LaVall Jordan and Co. deserve a ton of credit for how the team has performed to begin this season and that includes this matchup. The roster has clearly bought into what the coaching staff is selling and that is paying major dividends through the first two weeks. Butler is a cohesive unit on both ends of the floor that consistently fights for the same goal. As long as that continues to be evident throughout this season, the Dawgs will be successful.

They are making the right adjustments to deal with opponent scheming and the entire roster is set on finding solutions together.